Drone with explosive device found near Ukraine cargo jet at Leipzig airport

A drone carrying an explosive device has been found at a German airport after reports of a flying object closed both runways.

The alert at Leipzig/Halle began late on Tuesday night and an anti-explosives robot was sent to check an object near the southern runway.

Police and prosecutors said they found a drone with "an unknown explosive device" and that experts had removed its detonator.

Photos showed police and the robot near one of Ukraine's huge Antonov cargo jets. Germany's Bild news site said the drone was found lying close to the plane.

The Antonov jets are famous for their huge size, with one of the most famous examples destroyed in the early days of the Ukraine war.

Meanwhile, another cargo aircraft - believed to be owned by DHL - was hit by an object as it climbed away from Leipzig after diverting last night.

Slight damage was found to the plane when it landed in Hannover. Investigations into what the object was are ongoing.

German airports are on high alert after a series of drone sightings over sensitive sites - including military facilities, energy terminals, seaports and logistics companies.

Counter-terror officers are investigating Tuesday's incident and interior minister Alexander Dobrindt held an ‌emergency with Germany's security services on Wednesday night.

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It comes after an investigation found a number of incendiary devices had been hidden in parcels that caught fire in 2024, including one incident at a DHL depot in Birmingham.

Western securty services blamed Russian intelligence, though the country denied responsibility for those incidents, as well as for the recent drone sightings

Leipzig - a key cargo hub in eastern Germany - reopened its northern runway about two hours after the security alert. The southern runway was scheduled to close for maintenance on Wednesday.

(c) Sky News 2026: Drone with explosive device found near Ukraine cargo jet at Leipzig airport